Hello all,
My husband and I were considering Malta or Cyprus for a 4 night getaway in August but seems that Greece might be a good option too. We are both 35 and looking for a place to relax with good nightlife and great dinning options (food is important to us . I have been to Athens before and loved it and its food but would love to get a taste of the Greek islands. Since this is a short break I don't waste time on transport, so can you please recommend the best place to spend the 4 nights in an island close to Athens but would still gives us the experience.

Thanks a lot

oops, typo. I mean closest island to athens

What part of August? The islands closest to Athens will be packed, especially around the Aug 15th national holiday. If you can wait until the last week of the month, crowds will be fewer.

Also consider that every island in Greece with an airport is less than an hour from Athens by air, so that opens up other possibilities.

Hello Heimdall, thanks for the replies. It will be around 20 August. I was hoping to avoid connecting flight and go by ferry or boat.

Is there a reason you would rather take a boat? You'd have to get from the airport to the port then take a ferry. Flights are very quick and open up a lot more options...

It will still be busy around 20th Aug, but not so much as the previous week, since many people will be returning home from their holidays on Sunday the 19th. Some hotels will be reducing their prices after the 20th, another bonus.

Easiest islands to reach from Athens are those in the Saronic Gulf and those in the Cyclades. Ferries to the Cyclades leave mostly early morning, with a few more late afternoon. Rafina is the best port for Mykonos, Piraeus the best for others.

Mykonos has great nightlife and fine dining (at a price), but will still be very busy into September. Paros is only 4hrs by ferry from Piraeus (2hrs 45min by highspeed ferry), and has what you are looking for, especially in Naoussa and Parikia, the two main island centres. I stay at nearby Antiparos, a smaller island with excellent dining, lots of bars, and a few late hours nightclubs. You can reach Antiparos in 30 minutes from the main port at Paros. Also consider Naxos, which is an hour further away, on the same ferry route as Paros. Stay in Naxos Town or St George, and you can walk to the restaurants and clubs.

Cyprus is quite a nice place, I have been there once

To answer OP's question about the closest islands.

The closest island to Athens is Aegina, which is a nice, non touristy island, popular mainly among Athenians.
There is also the small island of Angistri, that can be easily reached from Athens too.

I don't understand your "not wanting to waste time on transport" statement.

If you fly from Athens to Santorini, Mykonos, Rodos, etc. on Aegean Air your flight time would be around ONE HOUR.

If you plan on taking a boat to a place like Aegina (but, I much prefer HYDRA to Aegina), it will take just as long if you take a high speed ferry from Piraeus. AND you have to get to Piraeus from Athens Airport. If you are already at the airport, why not just fly on to Santorini or Rodos?

Flights on Aegean Air are dirt cheap.

Just my opinion. Been there, done that.

Pepper aka Thingorjus